Anya Rubin: About My Art and Me

Recently we followed up with one of our winners Anya Rubin to see what she is up to. Check out Anya Rubin’s work http://www.anyarubin.com/ and get inspired!We also asked Anya to reflect on the 2013 Art Competition. Here is what she shared with us.

ANYA RUBIN: I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. When I was six years old my mother and I immigrated to Israel leaving behind all our family. Having spent two years in Israel we then moved to Germany, and after a year’s stay there we arrived in the US. Going through such extensive immigration and three languages left a huge impression on me. As a fellow immigrant once said, you lose more than half of your personality through this process.

I learned to understand different cultures, rules, people and languages. As I look back at that time I realize immigration had taught me how to use my senses. Those indescribable, intuitive feelings; a way of looking not with your eyes. Although I believe I was an artist from a young age, I didn’t start painting until after the birth of my triplets. I am a self-taught artist.

My goal is to explore the human condition through paint and technology. I reflect upon the social, political, and spiritual conditions of contemporary culture as it is mediated by today’s fast-paced technology where information about the world is available at a moment’s notice. Working in paint and digital rendering, I try to create an expressionist record of this current zeitgeist, using figures, historical references, and fragments of everyday life and through them I try to reveal what could be called the collective consciousness of contemporary society. For me the human spirit is the key to making sense of society’s fractured world and noting that in reality everything is interconnected.

I have been showing my art for the past 11 years. It has been a grueling road and a lot of the time a lonely one. Not only do artists need to create and consistently work on their skills, but in today’s market they also have to promote themselves. I find that while artists are living it is not only their art that is scrutinized but also their persona. This is a road one doesn’t choose -- it chooses you!

As an artist I try to find as many quality venues as possible to show my work. I enjoy the idea of a competition because then the work is chosen out of many submitted works and that says something about the work selected. I won the International Art Competition and was then invited to participate in The Art Festival. The event was well organized and the large space was overflowing with people. received a write-up in Fine Art Magazine on pp 14-15 (http://issuu.com/fineartmagazine/docs/winter_2013/1?e=1208886/5891660) , as well as receiving a lot of social media and on-line promotion. I met a wonderful array of artists and art lovers. I was able to invite my own collectors as well, who in return had the chance to see my latest work. I would encourage emerging and mid-career artists to participate in the Festival because it is a great way to have your work introduced to many different people from varied backgrounds. My participation in the Festival was a wonderful experience because there were many people seeing my work and I was able to meet people from the press as well as artists from different countries. After the competition I was invited to show at Museum of Russian Art which was a great honor.

Interview with Ralph Ferraro

Ralph Michael Ferraro is the winner of 2013 International Art Festival competition in the photography category.

For Ralph Michael it is not just the art of photography, it is the art of capturing the moment. Ralph Michael’s photography goes hand in hand with poems. You can check out his great blog to inspire, observe, create: http://www.RmfTop.blogspot.com/For Ralph Michael Ferraro photography started as a passion in high school. At one point in highschool he got a one page assignment to write about himself. All the students wrote an essay, but Ralph Michael presented a poem. However, that writing skill went back into the back burner at that point.

After college Ralph Michael went on a trip where he captured the moments of his travels. He said: “I was fascinated by the colors, by the shapes, and by the patterns that I saw, the experiences that I had when I traveled. So I organized them into the slideshows. And when I showed them to people, they really enjoyed it. They said: “ We have been there, but we did not see that!” or “We have never been there, but now we feel like we have been there”. So I did it as a passion.”After college Ralph Michael worked as a social worker and helped people make changes. Then he gradually shifted from legal psychology to emotional-energy psychology - your thinking is energy, your feeling is energy. Currently Ralph Michael teaches psychology and creates award-winning photography.

Ralph Michael also shared his experience at the International Art Festival:

Daria Gradusova: Was the IAF a good networking opportunity?Ralgh Ferraro: The IAF was a mixed experience in regard to networking. The opening night on Central Park West and the opening night in Jersey City were great opportunities to meet both talented artists and visitors to the exhibit who enjoyed the artwork. After the grand opening at each event, the visitors were few and far between. Even the artists were not around most of the day.Daria Gradusova: Indeed. However, the openings of exhibitions always get a big visitation due to reception and a limited time of event, while the rest of the days the galleries open regular hours and do not provide the social opportunity.

DG: Did IAF in any way influence your career?RF: The IAF was an exciting experience for me. I was very grateful to have my photographs chosen for the exhibit. I enjoyed talking to the fellow artists that were on display. I also enjoyed taking visitors through the gallery to see my photographs and the work of the other artists.The IAF experience definitely encouraged me to pursue my artistic passion without reservation.

DG: Did you enjoy the vibe of the event? RF: The IAF produced two different types of vibes. The first vibration was the excitement of being chosen and on display for all to see. The ability to share my art, my photographs with other artists and with the public was truly a joy. This positive vibration was exhilarating. The second vibration was the joy of showing visitors around the gallery and helping them to experience the various artists. It was a joy to see their attraction to the different works of art.

DG: Would you recommend this competition for emerging artists?RF: I would definitely recommend this competition to any artist. When I submitted my works, I felt positive. I felt that I was offering works of value. I didn’t know for certainty that they would be chosen, but was very excited when I got the news that my photographs were chosen.

DG: What advise would you give to those who are submitting their work?RF: Be playfulBe in touch with your inner spiritAllow your unique qualities, your passion to emerge in each piece that you do.Do not be concerned about whether someone else would like or value your work. A woman who came to the exhibit said, “there is a lot of shit masquerading as art, but if the work is truly art it will speak to the soul of those allowing themselves to experience the work of art.”Do not attempt to imitate someone else (famous artist) or style (classic, avant-garde, etc.).